When to say too much?

[RAM]

I was looking at the new Model Railroader that can in the mail today.  The price of every thing keeps going up and up.  I just wonder what the limit is.

[richG]

Change in inevitable, struggle is an option.

Rich

[az2rail]

As everything else is going up, why not our model trains. Have you ever noticed that train stores do not have a black friday?

Bruce

[CNE Runner]

I see the problem from another angle...that of a part-time vendor at train shows. Take a moment to look on eBay or some other website and you will see that the selling price of many rr items is taking a dive. One can assume that the condition of our economy has affected a downward direction in model value. I personally know of a half-dozen vendors who have left the business because they can't make enough profit to make the ever increasing overhead manageable. (For the life of me, I can't fathom the stress your LHS owner must endure.) I make a point of observing what train show attendees are carrying as they wander through the aisles. Unfortunately many of us attend model railroad shows to "rub shoulders with other members of the brotherhood" and not necessarily to buy...resulting in lots of attendees carrying next to nothing. As a vendor, I understand that there is a difference between what we want and what we can afford.  As more and more vendors drop out of the scene; shows will gradually get smaller and fewer in number...who suffers then?

Of course all this reinforces the old adage: You can tell the men from the boys by the price of their toys.

[jayl1]

CNE,

Here in the mid-western coast of Florida, show are not very numerous.  I have noticed - even at the Timonium, Maryland & York TCA shows a few months ago that sales are way down.  What was once a decent show in Largo is now pathetic - probably due to the way it was being run(??).
Also there are so many items coming out from various manufacturers that is it almost impossible (my opinion) to get everything one wants - especially with the numerous monthly releases of the "limited runs" of today.
Like you I had a shop & do a few shows.  Costs of table rentals have also gone up.  One show even has a $5 parking fee (including dealers - 2 days = $10)!  That is a cost of $12 with admission before seeing the first table.
As for eBay - the change to Paypal/ProPay/merchant account  (and having to ask the dealer to accept check or money order) has probably hurt more than helped the little guy.  I personally will not give any banking information to an uninsured, unregulated organization like Paypal.  Perhaps other buyers feel the same way.

Just my 2 cents.

PS to AZ2Rail - I did run Black Friday sales.  All Penn Central Engines were 50% off. LOL!

[Paul M.]

How much does a table at a show generally cost?

[jayl1]

How much does a table at a show generally cost?

Paul,
That depends on the show.  Some are $15-$30.  The "bigger" shows can be $50 & UP.  I believe Timonium was $70 and I heard the Amherst show in Springfield, Mass.  was approaching $120 per table.  I am doing one locally that will be $65 per table - a 2 day show.  Bear in mind many dealers use more than one table - most are 8' long but a few shows use six footers (TCA York in particular).

Hope that helps,
Jay

[SteamGene]

When I got back into the hobby ca 1989, an Athearn blue box was $3.50 MSRP.  OTOH, when I was a first lieutenant in 1968, my take home pay was something like $250 (since I was in Korea, I didn't get quarters or subsistence). 
I agree, times look like they may get really tough.  All my retirement pay comes from governments.  I hope THEY weather the storm.
Gene

[Atlantic Central]

A few thoughts,

The economy will be just fine. A few people may have it not quite as good, but when cars came along harness makers had to look for a new line of work.

Based on value for the dollar, this hobby has never been cheaper and never had better products. It has never really been a hobby for the poor.

Train shows may have run their course, if so, so what? No big loss in my mind. I live near the Timonium show and seldom go. My LHS orders what I need or I buy mail order.

Ajusted for inflation things are exactly the prices they should be.

Sheldon

[Yampa Bob]

In the 50s a candy bar cost 5 cents, a salary of $100 a week was considered very good.  Today that same candy bar can cost as much as $1. How many people do you know today that earn $2,000 a week? 

The old saying "The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer" was never more true than it is today.

[WoundedBear]

Actually, Bob, 2 grand a week isn't all that uncommon where I live. There are a lot of tradesmen workin' the oilpatch that have more money than they can spend.

An average welder up here, making 40 bucks an hour, workin 12 hour shifts 6 days a week, would net a little more than 3500 a week. And he doesn't need to own his own welding truck to do this. If he owned his own truck, he could expect to see that rate triple.

Around here, if you walk into a dealership to buy a truck, and you're wearing a suit, you likely won't get much service....lol. But...walk in wearing a pair of greasy coveralls, and the salesmen swarm.


Sid

[Yampa Bob]

Of course there are exceptions, we have underground miners here that make huge salaries.  I'm talking about the average middle class working person. Last I heard, "poverty" level for a family of four is about $25,000 a year.

[WGL]

 Yes, Bob, news articles keep reporting that the gap between the rich & poor has continued to increase for a decade or more.
I gulped when I saw that the price of my wife's Medicare supplement will increase $120 a month for next year.  It's crazy that a supplement covering 20% of healthcare makes up 80% of health insurance costs.  I hate to think what the stock market will do to our annuity.  For retirees, among others, it's time to look for ways to economize.

My local hobby shop is a 60+ mile round trip away.  I attended my first model train show this fall 25 miles away, hoping to meet a hobbyist or two from my town.  Maybe, if I'd attended for 2-3 hours on both days, I might have met someone.  Next spring, a show will come to my town, so I have hopes.

[Yampa Bob]

My wife is too young for Medicare, her health insurance costs about $3500 a year, with a $5,000 deductible. She recently had cataract surgery, almost $5,000 out of our pocket.  The insurance didn't pay a penney. 

[Atlantic Central]

Bob,

1968

Gasoline $0.30 gallon
New Car $3,000.00
1500 sq ft home $30,000.00
Earnings - Electrician - $6,000.00/year
Taxes, all combined - $900 - about 15%


2008

Gassoline $1.80 gallon/recently $3.00
New Car $31,000 (my new Ford Taurus)
1500 sq ft home $300,000.00 (even in this slow market)
Earnings - Electrician - $60,000.00/year
Taxes, all combined - $21,000 - about 35%

The way I see it the only price gouging being done is by the the government.

Sheldon